Being a Jawa among the cliffs Our first Death Valley trek was a hike and a ranger talk among the cliffs of Golden Canyon. After breakfast, we headed out from the Texas Spring Campground and headed south on 190 to Badwater Road, stopping at the first parking area on the left. This was the start… Continue reading Death Valley: A Galaxy Far, Far Away
Can be dangerous if you're not prepared. On the first Saturday of November, we headed up to Cucamonga Peak via Icehouse Canyon. This is a hike that I've done on many other occasions, and was to be the final hike of this year's Six Pack of Peaks Challenge. That said, I have never hiked it… Continue reading Hiking in a Winter Wonderland
The July 4th holiday weekend brought a new adventure in the form of a new hike. Continuing on the Six Pack of Peaks Challenge, I opted to attempt the hike up to Strawberry Peak beginning at the trailhead on Angeles Crest Highway and Red Box Road. The morning started off smoothly, then turned into an… Continue reading Hiking the Angeles: Strawberries on Strawberry Peak
UPDATE: Flash flooding is a possibility during the summer months. Just one week after our visit, thunderstorms in the vicinity resulted in flash flooding that rushed through Grand Wash, totaling vehicles and trapping park visitors and even a few park rangers involved in the rescue. Fortunately, everyone was able to be rescued according to KSL… Continue reading Capitol Reef National Park
Our national park adventure continued after a beautiful morning spent at Bear Gulch on the east side of Pinnacles National Park. As California 146 does not connect the two sides of the park, we drove out of the park and headed about an hour southwest toward Soledad. After a quick stop for fuel and a… Continue reading West Pinnacles
The Cranky Camper 